Bernie can win in 2016

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dicer

Banned
You realize that he has no chance, right?

This is sensationalist clickbait bullshit.

Everytime I see someone say this I know another larger group that thinks otherwise, the Bern steamroller is real, and rolling over more and more naysayers everyday.
 
I think Bernie has an increasingly likely shot of winning in 2016, especially because one of the latest polls shows him decimating trump, the likely repub nominee by 13 points. I know the republicans have been attacking mostly Clinton so this isn't too much of a surprise but still, it must mean something good.

Also, he is close/leading in NH against clinton, and is trailing by around 10 points in Iowa. Bernie recently said that if he can win in both those states, then that overcomes the obstacle of when people say that they like what Bernie stands for, but don't think that he can win.

In the general, I could see the republicans developing a sort of label on Bernie for his democratic socialism ideas, but I can also see a situation in which voters in both the primary against Clinton and general against Trump choose Bernie because of his apparent honesty and genuine concern to try to change the way money works in politics. Also, Bernie has stayed true to his guns and did not vote for the Iraq War. Seems like Trump can attack Bernie with a really big attack against socialism in contrast to Hillary with dozens of smaller attacks that he will target to things from her long career. It is very interesting stuff, and I am very excited, especially because this election impacts me tremendously due to possibility of a republican repealing the DACA executive order signed by Obama in 2012.

What are your thoughts GAF?


No, everyone knows he would do well in NH, he is from Vermont. People from those two states share similar values.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
All i know is, i'll vote in the primaries, and if Bernie wins i'll vote for him in the general.

If Bernie doesn't win, i'll abstain from voting in the general.

I'm not going to vote for a Republican in Blue clothing any more than i'd vote for a Republican in their normal clothing. The democratic establishment has fully soured me over how they have acted over this whole campaign, and indeed over the past few years.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
You realize that he has no chance, right?

This is sensationalist clickbait bullshit.


Are you supposed to support who you think will win or the candidate that you feel is the best choice? Not fair to single your response out, but many people I talk to laugh at the idea of supporting Bernie because they don't think he will win. That's just odd to me.
 
it's a two sided coin. Gross domestic product is the "size of the economy", but it also requires domestic re-circulation.

Again, the argument that we cannot afford it is evidence of the self defeating attitude that is rampant within the Democratic party. Why should we accept the status quo of deficit funding imperialism and corporatism, but shun deficit spending to rebuild our homeland?
 
America is by far the richest nation on earth, and if it wanted it could have the best public sector systems in the world. But past governments have all favored defense. 50 billion dollar budget. You could cut that in half and America still wouldn't even be close to losing its military supremacy.

Isn't Bernies plan to decrease military spending and tax the rich? and isn't it all making society richer- when you increase the minimum wage, almost by clockwork, the wage in higher thresholds increases as well. At least that is common in Europe. There has been some really good effects with helping the poor in ways that mirrors in rest of society raising the wage for everyone else.
 

Chariot

Member
All i know is, i'll vote in the primaries, and if Bernie wins i'll vote for him in the general.

If Bernie doesn't win, i'll abstain from voting in the general.
You don't have to vote for Hillary, but it might be good to vote against whoever comes out at top from the GOP.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
Again, the argument that we cannot afford it is evidence of the self defeating attitude that is rampant within the Democratic party. Why should we accept the status quo of deficit funding imperialism and corporatism, but shun deficit spending to rebuild our homeland?

1. We're "piss our pants" scared of Republicans.

2. First female president.

3. A complete and utter lack of fortitude.
 
Are you supposed to support who you think will win or the candidate that you feel is the best choice? Not fair to single your response out, but many people I talk to laugh at the idea of supporting Bernie because they don't think he will win. That's just odd to me.

The candidate I support the most who can win a general election. It's how the GOP moved the nation right. By nominating Reagan and Bush, not Helms and Gingrich.
 

injurai

Banned
i appreciate your response. Democrats are simply the lesser evil regardless of the winner.

we cannot afford Bernie's plan. Republicans refuse to increase taxes, which Bernie's campaign is heavily reliant on. The deficit would be absolutely insane.

His proposal was estimated at 18 Trillion dollars. That's literally the amount of current national debt.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/price-tag-of-bernie-sanders-proposals-18-trillion-1442271511

he would get annihilated in the general election for this reason alone.

We can afford it, it's just we don't have the right systems in place right now to distribute wealth in a manner that would cover it. If you vote for Bernie, you better be electing a Democrat to congress to help push through his legislature.

Voting your ideal president is the first step. You have to follow through on mid-term elections, and take up political action and responsibility. Hopefully his supporters realize that.
 

Dicer

Banned
You don't have to vote for Hillary, but it might be good to vote against whoever comes out at top from the GOP.

Take this advice, at least show up, put your own name in even, just don't toss the vote into nothingness voter turnout is important...
 
The candidate I support the most who can win a general election. It's how the GOP moved the nation right. By nominating Reagan and Bush, not Helms and Gingrich.

The GOP attached themselves to insane single issue voters. That strategy has come to fruition, ala the current band of crazies on stage at the GOP debates.
 

Horns

Member
I'm not against Bernie. I would vote for him or Hilary if either were the nominee.

The only turnoff with Bernie that comes to mind are his rabid supporters. They remind me of Ron Paul supporters which has me concerned. If Bernie is not the nominee, will they say the system is rigged and not bother to vote?
 
I'd love for him to win, but I can't see it happening.

.

I knew these polls would have some on GAF frothing at the mouth but it just ain't in the cards I'm afraid. I would vote for him if my state's primary meant a damn but unless he wins IA and NH and gets some KILLER momentum for the south out of thin air then...
 
I'm not against Bernie. I would vote for him or Hilary if either were the nominee.

The only turnoff with Bernie that comes to mind are his rabid supporters. They remind me of Ron Paul supporters which has me concerned. If Bernie is not the nominee, will they say the system is rigged and not bother to vote?

What does your idea of his supporters actually have to do with anything besides showing that you are gotten to by stuff you read on the interwebz? Detach yourself from becoming emotionally invested and just vote for who you think is best - Bernie or Hillary - and vote for the Dem nominee in the general. I'm turned off by Hillary supporters peddling the "unelectable" and "not realistic" mumbo jumbo but I'm letting it affect my opinion of her herself.
 
America is by far the richest nation on earth, and if it wanted it could have the best public sector systems in the world. But past governments have all favored defense. 50 billion dollar budget. You could cut that in half and America still wouldn't even be close to losing its military supremacy.

Isn't Bernies plan to decrease military spending and tax the rich? and isn't it all making society richer- when you increase the minimum wage, almost by clockwork, the wage in higher thresholds increases as well. At least that is common in Europe. There has been some really good effects with helping the poor in ways that mirrors in rest of society raising the wage for everyone else.
But but but bootstraps and fuck you I got mine...................

/S

Seriously this is the worst part that the generation of votes who could all change that aren't seeing this aspect sadly.
 

XenodudeX

Junior Member
What does your idea of his supporters actually have to do with anything besides showing that you are gotten to by stuff you read on the interwebz? Detach yourself from becoming emotionally invested and just vote for who you think is best - Bernie or Hillary - and vote for the Dem nominee in the general. I'm turned off by Hillary supporters peddling the "unelectable" and "not realistic" mumbo jumbo but I'm letting it affect my opinion of her herself.

You should tell the same thing to Bernie supporters who will vote in DONALD. FUCKING. TRUMP. into office if he doesn't get the nom. Fuck those guys.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
GrExA8V.jpg


Iowa getting hothothot
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
You don't have to vote for Hillary, but it might be good to vote against whoever comes out at top from the GOP.

Hillary will have plenty of apologists to help her if she wins the primaries. I won't be one. I am unwilling to support neoliberal corporatism anymore than i already have. I already regret voting for the 'lesser of two evils' before.

i appreciate your response. Democrats are simply the lesser evil regardless of the winner.

we cannot afford Bernie's plan. Republicans refuse to increase taxes, which Bernie's campaign is heavily reliant on. The deficit would be absolutely insane.

His proposal was estimated at 18 Trillion dollars. That's literally the amount of current national debt.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/price-tag-of-bernie-sanders-proposals-18-trillion-1442271511

he would get annihilated in the general election for this reason alone.

Are you a republican? WSJ fudged the numbers, and misinterpreted what the actual study said that they pulled the numbers from.

Let's listen to Bill Clinton's budget secretary on the matter

http://robertreich.org/post/129306966350

The entire point of moving to single payer is to offset the costs done by private insurers, which is what this plan covers.

In all, we'd actually be saving 5 trillion dollars of the money we would have wasted under our current plan, not expending 18 trillion. That plan that was used by the study (which is not Bernie's but someone else's plan that was the closest to the single payer system Bernie wants) was actually called out by one of the people who conducted it.
 

AlphaDump

Gold Member
That's a fair point, but maybe it's time to devise a new strategy when it comes to dealing with the GOP. One that further alienates the party while mobilising the rest of the country so voters don't stay at home during the rest of the electoral process.

But as a foreigner who travels with some frequency to America and has lots of American acquaintances, the thing that irks me the most about Democrats is how fucking coward and self-defeating they are. This is the country that sent a man to the Moon, harnessed the power of the atom, built the Hoover dam and much more recently wasted countless billions in senseless wars, yet when confronted with relatively simple stuff such as a the development of a socialized healthcare system in the same vein as the UK's NHS or some kind of germane alternative to the utter insanity that is the current situation of higher education in the country, the typical response is "we can't do that, that would be too complicated/expensive".

Come on.

Time to find your balls again.

have some balls? what?

the strategy should be to win the midterms if you want to defeat the GOP. Democrats typically blow their loads in the general election and not show up after.

The plan isn't too complicated, it is currently too expensive, and would be used as a talking point during the general elections.

his proposal doesnt talk about foreign policy or the cost of DoD. and is largely contingent on shit not hitting the fan.

Fed_Funds_WSJ.jpg
 
You should tell the same thing to Bernie supporters who will vote in DONALD. FUCKING. TRUMP. into office if he doesn't get the nom. Fuck those guys.

We both know that's not reasonable. But it's also not the same issue in play - they're driven by their dislike for Hillary rather than the bizarre dislike of her supporters like the example I spoke of. Not that it matters - I don't think either side is reasonable in this case.

have some balls? what?

the strategy should be to win the midterms if you want to defeat the GOP. Democrats typically blow their loads in the general election and not show up after.

The plan isn't too complicated, it is currently too expensive, and would be used as a talking point during the general elections.

his proposal doesnt talk about foreign policy or the cost of DoD. and is largely contingent on shit not hitting the fan.

Fed_Funds_WSJ.jpg

Did you read the posted Rob Reich response?
 

injurai

Banned
have some balls? what?

the strategy should be to win the midterms if you want to defeat the GOP. Democrats typically blow their loads in the general election and not show up after.

The plan isn't too complicated, it is currently too expensive, and would be used as a talking point during the general elections.

his proposal doesnt talk about foreign policy or the cost of DoD. and is largely contingent on shit not hitting the fan.

Fed_Funds_WSJ.jpg

This picture is some of the most deceiving FUD I've seen thrown against Sander's policies. Not only do we have working models, Market Economy Democratic Socialist nations working and saving money, whilst improving the middle class. But we have also seen the policies formerly work in the US, before the red scare threw us from our ways.
 

AlphaDump

Gold Member
We both know that's not reasonable. But it's also not the same issue in play - they're driven by their dislike for Hillary rather than the bizarre dislike of her supporters like the example I spoke of. Not that it matters - I don't think either side is reasonable in this case.



Did you read the posted Rob Reich response?

I did. that picture is from his website, from here http://reverbpress.com/politics/eco...-sanders-policies-cost-america-nothing-video/.

where is DoD?
 
Again, the argument that we cannot afford it is evidence of the self defeating attitude that is rampant within the Democratic party. Why should we accept the status quo of deficit funding imperialism and corporatism, but shun deficit spending to rebuild our homeland?

Agree and I say this as a veteran.

We spend too much on our military given our defense budget includes the funding of over 600 overseas bases.

Host nations benefit from our imperialism, while Americans suffer at home.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Agree and I say this as a veteran.

We spend too much on our military given our defense budget includes the funding of over 600 overseas bases.

Host nations benefit from our imperialism, while Americans suffer at home.

We can't afford it, if it makes sense for our people and is common sense to save money and be more efficient at the same time.

We can afford it, if it makes our issues bigger, and consolidates control further.

That seems to be the ever present narrative going around for inaction. I'm surprised there are so many people who are ignorant and claim to be progressives. If your backing the establishment, your voting directly in opposition to progressive values that, contrary to the sentiment, would actually help rather than hurt.
 
That's a fair point, but if the GOP is not willing to act in the best interest of the country by at least playing ball when it's absolutely needed, maybe it's time to devise a new strategy when it comes to dealing with them. One that further alienates the party while mobilising the rest of the country so voters don't stay at home during the rest of the electoral process.

But as a foreigner who travels with some frequency to America and has lots of American acquaintances, the thing that irks me the most about Democrats is how fucking coward and self-defeating they are. This is the country that sent a man to the Moon, harnessed the power of the atom, built the Hoover dam and much more recently wasted countless billions in senseless wars, yet when confronted with relatively simple stuff such as a the development of a socialized healthcare system in the same vein as the UK's NHS or some kind of germane alternative to the utter insanity that is the current situation of higher education in the country, the typical response is "we can't do that, that would be too complicated/expensive".

Come on.

Time to find your balls again.
This is a stupid statement. Its not simple, for better or worse the current system is extremely viable and integrated into a 3rd of the countries gdp with tons of regulations, benefits, financing and more loops than a box of cheerios.

Its not like flipping a switch and no other country has had even a third of this issue.
 

rjinaz

Member
Looks like I was wrong. A good amount of Sanders supports won't vote for Clinton if it comes down to that. As a Bernie supporter I will never understand this. I think the party has treated this election pretty shitty so far myself and I'm not particularly excited about Clinton, but you damn well bet I will do whatever I possibly can to make sure a loon like Trump does not become the President. Not voting is as good as a vote for homophobia and bigotry.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
Looks like I was wrong. A good amount of Sanders supports won't vote for Clinton if it comes down to that. As a Bernie supporter I will never understand this. I think the party has treated this election pretty shitty so far myself and I'm not particularly excited about Clinton, but you damn well bet I will do whatever I possibly can to make sure a loon like Trump does not become the President. Not voting is as good as a vote for homophobia and bigotry.

Unfortunately there appear to be a not-insignificant number of Sanders fans who think Sanders is the second coming and/or Clinton is the devil.
 

injurai

Banned
Unfortunately there appear to be a not-insignificant number of Sanders fans who think Sanders is the second coming and/or Clinton is the devil.

Or it's just an underhanded tactic to push Sanders through the primaries. I doubt that many people are seriously in favor of Trump. It would set back all Obama has done, and Hillary's core platform still overlaps considerably with Sanders.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
Ah, we're back to the "Sanders supporters are cool with Trump" deflection. Like clockwork.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
Or it's just an underhanded tactic to push Sanders through the primaries. I doubt that many people are seriously in favor of Trump. It would set back all Obama has done, and Hillary's core platform still overlaps considerably with Sanders.

Trump has nothing to do with it. When Sanders fans call Clinton a phony warmongering corporate shill, as they do constantly, I don't see any reason to think they're not expressing their honest beliefs. Why would someone like that particularly care if the choice is between two people they think are evil monstrous oligarchs?
 

rjinaz

Member
Or it's just an underhanded tactic to push Sanders through the primaries. I doubt that many people are seriously in favor of Trump. It would set back all Obama has done, and Hillary's core platform still overlaps considerably with Sanders.

Not too mention it is that last thing Sanders would possibly want. All his work would be for naught. You can't honestly say you are a Sanders fan if you don't do your part to get a Democrat in the White House.
 

injurai

Banned
Trump has nothing to do with it. When Sanders fans call Clinton a phony warmongering corporate shill, as they do constantly, I don't see any reason to think they're not expressing their honest beliefs. Why would someone like that particularly care if the choice is between two people they think are evil monstrous oligarchs?

I don't doubt they are sincere in their barbed criticism of Clinton, I'm saying when it comes down to it. They won't give the GOP an inch. Instead they will sit on the left coattail of the political spectrum until the climate get's better.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
I don't doubt they are sincere in their barbed criticism of Clinton, I'm saying when it comes down to it. They won't give the GOP an inch. Instead they will sit on the left coattail of the political spectrum until the climate get's better.

I find that hard to believe when they don't appear to acknowledge a significant difference between Clinton and the GOP. Plus the Bernie enthusiasm seems driven in large part by Bernie the man, not policy preferences.
 

injurai

Banned
I find that hard to believe when they don't appear to acknowledge a significant difference between Clinton and the GOP. Plus the Bernie enthusiasm seems driven in large part by Bernie the man, not policy preferences.

Do they not acknowledge her differences? I mostly see criticism that she is deep in bed with Wall Street. People wanted Warren for a reason.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Not too mention it is that last thing Sanders would possibly want. All his work would be for naught. You can't honestly say you are a Sanders fan if you don't do your part to get a Democrat in the White House.

Bernie has his opinions on how to support America if he loses. I have mine. There will be plenty of people who drag themselves to the polls against their own will just to make sure the GOP doesn't win, like Bernie himself will.

Sorry, i don't have the mental fortitude to do that, to vote for people who don't actually care about improving my standard of living over the status quo any longer. We should be looking towards actual solutions, not just enabling this farce.

Hillary is against WallStreet reform, she's against actual reformation of the tax code, she's against actually getting private insurance out of healthcare, or even any real substantial changes to the current system, she's more hawkish than Obama is and on the level of Bush in war time(she advocates attacking both the rebels and the government at the same time after all, just like Iraq), her voting record is horrible in regards to voting for Iraq, the patriot act, she was on the board of directors for walmart, her daughter is married to a Goldman sachs hedge fund manager who's father was arrested and charged for huge financial corruption, and she takes money from literally every corp under the sun.

What other policy differences do i need to spell out?
 

rjinaz

Member
Bernie has his opinions on how to support America if he loses. I have mine. There will be plenty of people who drag themselves to the polls against their own will just to make sure the GOP doesn't win, like Bernie himself will.

Sorry, i don't have the mental fortitude to do that, to vote for people who don't actually care about improving my standard of living over the status quo any longer. We should be looking towards actual solutions, not just enabling this farce.

Hillary is against WallStreet reform, she's against actual reformation of the tax code, she's against actually getting private insurance out of healthcare, or even any real substantial changes to the current system, she's more hawkish than Obama is and on the level of Bush in war time(she advocates attacking both the rebels and the government at the same time after all, just like Iraq), her voting record is horrible in regards to voting for Iraq, the patriot act, she was on the board of directors for walmart, her daughter is married to a Goldman sachs hedge fund manager who's father was arrested and charged for huge financial corruption, and she takes money from literally every corp under the sun.

What other policy differences do i need to spell out?

I don't disagree with any of that really. The problem is, reality. And the reality is, you not voting or voting for a Republican will not change anything or send a message or get things moving in the right direction. Having liberal supreme court justices will. Having a Democrat in the office 3 terms in a row, and watching Trump take down the Republican party into flames, will. It may not be this year, but as long as we are moving in the right (left) direction, I do think it will happen eventually. I think Sanders did a good job of showing this nation that that dirty word socialism isn't as dirty as the Right wants people to think it is. People are opening their minds a bit I think.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
To wit, Injurai.

Apparently who your kid marries is a "policy difference."

I listed tons of policy differences there. But the other points just play into what kind of company Hillary keeps that this is what she is surrounded by.

The fact of the matter is, from all aspects of her political life, Hillary Clinton is an advocate of corporatism. With that in mind, why exactly is it so hard to believe that there are people who don't really see much use in voting for that kind of leadership into the highest office?
 
Bernie has his opinions on how to support America if he loses. I have mine. There will be plenty of people who drag themselves to the polls against their own will just to make sure the GOP doesn't win, like Bernie himself will.

Sorry, i don't have the mental fortitude to do that, to vote for people who don't actually care about improving my standard of living over the status quo any longer. We should be looking towards actual solutions, not just enabling this farce.

Hillary is against WallStreet reform, she's against actual reformation of the tax code, she's against actually getting private insurance out of healthcare, or even any real substantial changes to the current system, she's more hawkish than Obama is and on the level of Bush in war time(she advocates attacking both the rebels and the government at the same time after all, just like Iraq), her voting record is horrible in regards to voting for Iraq, the patriot act, she was on the board of directors for walmart, her daughter is married to a Goldman sachs hedge fund manager who's father was arrested and charged for huge financial corruption, and she takes money from literally every corp under the sun.

What other policy differences do i need to spell out?

The only problem is that Bernie will never be able to bring his ideas to fruition with the current system that's in place (passing legislature through the House of Representatives will be impossible for him). He's even said as much himself.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
I listed tons of policy differences there. But the other points just play into what kind of company Hillary keeps that this is what she is surrounded by.

The fact of the matter is, from all aspects of her political life, Hillary Clinton is an advocate of corporatism. With that in mind, why exactly is it so hard to believe that there are people who don't really see much use in voting for that kind of leadership into the highest office?

No, you listed a vague litany of context-free complaints and personal attacks. Like I said, Sanders fans are the PUMAs of 2016.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
I don't disagree with any of that really. The problem is, reality. And the reality is, you not voting or voting for a Republican will not change anything or send a message or get things moving in the right direction. Having liberal supreme court justices will. Having a Democrat in the office 3 terms in a row, and watching Trump take down the Republican party into flames, will. It may not be this year, but as long as we are moving in the right (left) direction, I do think it will happen eventually. I think Sanders did a good job of showing this nation that that dirty word socialism isn't as dirty as the Right wants people to think it is. People are opening their minds a bit I think.

Yup
 

AlphaDump

Gold Member
I listed tons of policy differences there. But the other points just play into what kind of company Hillary keeps that this is what she is surrounded by.

The fact of the matter is, from all aspects of her political life, Hillary Clinton is an advocate of corporatism. With that in mind, why exactly is it so hard to believe that there are people who don't really see much use in voting for that kind of leadership into the highest office?

why keep that in mind when people can think for themselves?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/opinion/hillary-clinton-how-id-rein-in-wall-street.html

"Secretary Clinton is right to fight back against Republicans trying to sneak Wall Street giveaways into the must-pass government funding bill,” Ms. Warren, the liberal senator from Massachusetts, wrote on Facebook after Mrs. Clinton published an Op-Ed article in The New York Times with her proposals to regulate Wall Street."

Elizabeth Warren agreed.
 

Volimar

Member
Bernie's real test comes after NH. If he wins both Iowa and NH, and I expect him to win NH at least, he'll have a shot at garnering some real momentum. Unfortunately, I still think he's likely to collapse after NH.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom